Saw-mill set-works



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T. S. WILKIN' I SAW MILL SET WORKS. No. 313,396. Patentfgd Mar. 3,1885..

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shefi 3.

T. S. WILKIN.

SAW MILL SET WORKS. No. 313,396. Patented Mar. 3, 1885.

N-iTEn STATES THEODORE S. WILKIN, OF MIIJVVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SAW -MILL SET-WORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,396, dated March 3,1885.

Application filed November 26, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE S. WILKIN, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Saw-Mill Set- WVorks, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to saw-mill set-works, and particularly to themeans for setting up and receding the knees, the invention consisting ina novel construction, whereby the movement is effected by fluid'pressureinstead of manual labor.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a saw-millcarriage, the knees provided with my improvements; Fig. 2, an end viewof the carriage, showing the headblock, knee, and cylinder in sideelevation; Fig.3, an end elevation of the head-block, knee, andcylinder; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal central section of the head-blockand cylinder.

Heretofore it has been customary to move the knee of a saw-mill carriageby means of a series of pinions secured upon a common setshaft andmeshing with racks formed upon or attached to'the respective knees, theshaft being turned by a hand-lever through suitable ratchet mechanism.Whenever large logs are to be handledsuch, for instance, as those of thefar west-the log-carriage is made proportionately large, and, instead ofcarrying but two or three head-blocks and knees, is furnished commonlywith five. The weight of the log is such that it is impracticable toactuate the knees by means of the ordinary setshaft lever, and hence anattendant is required at each knee. Even then the labor is veryconsiderable, and it is impracticable to secure a simultaneous and equalmovement of all the knees.

The present invention is designed to secure perfect uniformity andsynchronism of action, and to render the services of a number ofattendants unnecessary. These results I attain by the followingdescribed construction:

A indicates a saw-mill carriage, mounted upon wheels B, which travelupon rails G, as usual, to guide the carriage and its log past the saw.At suitable intervals are placed the head-block, as shown, the cylindersbeing preferably made separate, and clamped down to a seat or bearingformed upon the headblock, as plainly shown in the several figures. Theforward end of each cylinder is set far enough back to permit the kneeto be receded the full required distance.

Within each cylinder E is a close-fitting piston, G, and a piston-rod,H, extends from each piston, through a suitable packing-gland orstuffing-box, to its corresponding knee E, to which its outer end isfirmly connected by bolt or otherwise. Thus it will be seen any movementof the piston will cause a corresponding movement of the knee to whichit is connected. Steam, compressed air, or other fluid is delivered toeach cylinder at opposite ends alternately in the same manner preciselyas in an ordinary steam-engine cylinder; but at such times only as itmay be necessary to move the knees.

For the purpose of thus delivering steam to the cylinder at either endand simultaneously permitting the escape of steam from the opposite end,as is of course-necessary in order to effect a movement of the piston, Iprovide two pipes, to and/b, extending from a chest, I, to opposite endsof the cylinder, and within said chest I locate a slide or rotary valveof any common construction adapted to connect either pipe with thesteamspace, and at the same time connect the other pipe with an outletfor exhaust. Each head-block and knee is thus furnished witha cylinder,piston, piston-rod, steam-chest, pipes, and valve; and, in order thatall may be operated simultaneously, I connect the several valves bymeans of a rod, J, which is connected with a hand-lever, K, placedwithin easy reach of the operator, as shown in Fig. 1. Steam, air, orother fluid is brought to the chest I by a telescopic pipe, L, which isnot a part of the present invention, but enters into another applicationfiled by me.

For the purpose of controlling the move- IOO ments of the knees withaccuracy and certainty, and to render such movementsufficiently gradualto prevent displacement of the log or injury to the machinery, I placedi- 5 rectly beneath each sliding knee and within its head-block a heavyscrew, M, the forward end of which is swiveled in the forward end of thehead-block, and the bod y of which passes through a heavy depending lugor lugs, 6, formed on the under side of the knee, and threaded toreceive and fit the screw, so that as the latter is rotated in one orthe other direction the knee will be permitted to move forward orbackward under the force exerted uponthe piston G. So long, however, asthe screws remain at rest the knees will be held against movement ineither direction.

In order to insure synchronism and uniformity of movement of all theknees, each screw is furnished with a bevel-pinion, N, which meshes witha corresponding pinion,

0, made fast upon acommon shaft, P, extending from the head-block at oneend of the carriage to that at the other end, and rotated, as required,by a ratchet mechanism, Q, of any approved construction, or in any otherconvenient way. By this construction the entire operation of the kneesis placed under the control of one attendant or operator, the expense ofvarious attendants is saved, the work is performed with the utmostcertainty and uniformity, and the lever for controlling the knees, beingplaced close to those for actuating the dogs reversing the travel of thecarriage, &c., the whole apparatus may be controlled from one and thesame point by a single operator.

I do not in this application claim, broadly, the telescopic pipes forconveying fluid under pressure to a saw-mill carriage and t0 themechanism thereon, as that constitutes the subj cot-matter of anotherapplication, filed by me November 26, 1884, Serial No. 148,982.

It is obvious that the cylinder may be cast with or attached to the kneeand made to travel therewith, the piston-rod in that case extendingthrough the rear end of the cylinder,and being rigidly attached to abracket or support. Such arrangement would, however, necessitate the useof flexible or telescopic pipes from the chest I to the cylinder, forwhich reason the plan shown and described is preferred.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith a saw-mill headblock, a sliding knee mounted thereon, a stationaryfluid-cylinder, a piston movable within said cylinder and connected byapiston-rod 60 to the sliding knee, a valve adapted to adknee,substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a saw-mill headblock, a sliding knee mountedthereon-and provided with a projecting arm or lug, a screw journaled inthe head-block and passing through a threaded opening in said arm orlug, a stationary fluid-cylinder, a piston within said cylinder, and arod connecting the piston and the sliding knee, substantially asdescribed and shown.

3. In combination with a saw-mill carriage, a head-block mountedthereon, a sliding knee mounted upon the head: block, a fluid-cylinder,and a piston connected with the sliding knee, substantially asdescribed, a fixed rotary screw passing through a threaded opening in alug on the sliding knee, and a valve for controlling the supply andexhaust of fluid to and from the cylinder, all substantially asdescribed and shown.

4.. The combination of a series of headblocks, asliding knee mountedupon said headblocks, a stationary cylinder for each knee, a pistonwithin each cylinder connected with its sliding knee, a screw journaledin each head-block and passing through a threaded opening in a lug orarm of the sliding knee thereon, a bevel -pinion secured upon each 5screw, a set-shaft extending past all the screws, and provided with abevel -pinion to mesh with the pinion of each screw, and mechanism,substantially such as described and shown, for imparting rotary motionto the pinion- 10o shaft, whereby all the screws may be rotatedsynchronously and equally and the knees caused to move in unison.

5. In combination with a series of headblocks and knees, each providedwith a fluid- 105 cylinder and piston for advancing and receding saidknees, and with a controlling-screw for each knee and a common shaft forrotating all the screws, a series of valves for controlling theinduction and eduction of fluid to r1 0 and from the respectivecylinders, a connecting-rod extending from one valve to anotherthroughout the series, and a lever connected with said rod, whereby allthe valves may be moved simultaneously, and a simultaneous 1 I 5movement of the knees be secured.

THEODORE S. WVILKIN.

WVitnesses:

FRED. A. LARKIN, CHARLES ALLIs.

